Glennis Markison
The Johns Hopkins University
From touring ancient villages to visiting provocative art galleries, our group has discovered that Dubai has a lot more to offer than sizeable skyscrapers and Hermès headscarves. Yes, we found it thrilling to view Dubai from the world’s tallest building. And yes, we had a good time shopping in the world’s largest mall. However, our most significant experiences were the ones in which our group dug beneath Dubai’s stylish exterior and explored the Emirate’s most sensitive issues. From the disparities between the lifestyles of Emiratis and ex-pats to the recession’s effect on Dubai’s growth to the complex roles that the UAE plays in Middle Eastern conflicts, the tough topics we learned about inspired a lot of passionate conversations.
By the end of our first day in Dubai, it was clear that the United States’ media had provided us with a rather incomplete depiction of the Emirate. Focusing more on the Emirate’s style and not nearly enough on its substance, TV programs and filmic references to Dubai failed to tell the whole story. Fortunately, our next two days in Dubai centered on how the Emirate presents itself through its own media forms.
After our meeting at the Dubai School of Government, our group went to Cisco Systems International. We discussed the different results of Cisco’s providing of infrastructure for internet access to Middle Eastern countries. We learned that young people in the Middle East use social networking services like Facebook and MySpace much more than Americans . I was initially startled by this fact, but it made sense after it was explained that this disparity is likely a result of the strict rules against dating in the Middle East. Relationships are formed on the internet because they are not always allowed to develop organically in the real world. As for more politically-charged internet topics, we also discussed Cisco’s adherence to American foreign policy decisions when it comes to which countries and regimes the company is allowed to work with. We also discussed the compromising position that Cisco might be put in if cyber warfare were to take place between America (or its allies) and other countries. We became aware of the many ways in which internet access can affect people’s lives.
Our next meeting, with the GulfCap Group, was less focused on communication and politics in the Middle East and more on the way businesses are run in the region. For example, we learned how Islamic Banking works, and how this no-interest model has proven successful for the GulfCap Group. However, while the conversation mostly revolved around finance, there was one humorous incident which commented on certain aspects of Middle Eastern culture. An alarm went off throughout the building early on in the meeting, warning in both English and Arabic that there might be a fire somewhere in the building and that the situation was being investigated. It turned out that it was a false alarm, but the P.A. system apologized for the incident by sending out 5 identical messages every 30 seconds or so. After the final apology alarm, one of the representatives of GulfCap smirked and said: "You see, the alarm rang five times just so you would really feel that you're in the Middle East." Naturally, we all started laughing.
The next day we got a firsthand look at how Dubai presents itself through media. We went to Dubai Media City, a chunk of the Emirate that houses a variety of media business who all work together to complete their projects. We started the day by having a meeting with representatives of several different companies within the Media City. We discussed freedom of speech, censorship, the growing film industry, the role of women in media and the diverse audience that Dubai's TV shows and films must keep in mind. I was especially grateful that we got to converse with Nayla Al Khaja, the first female filmmaker in Dubai. Her first film, a very unnerving and powerful short about pedophilia, was banned in Dubai when it was initially released. Ironically, the same film received an award two years later by the very group that had tried to prevent its release. This really exemplified the rapidly changing nature of Dubai. Nayla’s presentation also dealt with some of the ways in which family structure and religion affect women's ability to involve themselves in the media. Ms. Al Khaja noted that she often has trouble casting Arab actresses in her films because these women usually have religious families who don't approve of the career path. This meeting in the Media City really emphasized the sensitive balance of conservatism and progressivism in Dubai's culture.
After that, we learned about seven radio stations that operate through the Media City via the Arab Radio Network (ARN). That these stations are presented in multiple languages further emphasized the multicultural nature of Dubai. It was wonderful to be around so many creative people, especially when we got to listen to presenters go live on air and to hear composers create musical interludes for radio programs. Our tour of MBC, a news and entertainment channel, also helped us get a feel for the way Dubai expresses itself through media. From covering conflicts in the Middle East to creating flashy reality TV shows, MBC proves that people in Dubai can face complicated issues and also be eager to have a good time. The media in the United States too often emphasizes the latter, forgetting that people in Dubai can also tackle tough topics.
After our exciting trip to Dubai Media City, our group met with two employees from Google. Very high up in the company, the two men explained to us everything from censorship to marketing. They addressed the social and political implications of internet use, and also commented on the current political climates in their home countries -- Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It was a very satisfying interaction because we got to learn not only about how Google does business, but also about how different cultures utilize its service. For example, Google doesn't work with countries that have really strong censorship efforts, because ultimately they force the search engine to work way too slowly.
We concluded our long, media-filled day by attending a party with young leaders at a home on the Palm Jumeirah. The home was beautiful, the deserts were delicious, and the conversations were fascinating. I spent over an hour talking with an ex-Pat ABC reporter who covers politics in the Middle East. We talked about everything from gender to democracy.
Needless to say, our group had a great time in Dubai. We struck a perfect balance between the serious and the social, so I'm excited to see what happens as we travel to countries that are more directly involved in conflicts.
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